Electoral Act, 1963

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Amendment of Rule 10 of Third Schedule to Principal Act.

39.—The following paragraphs are hereby inserted in Rule 10 of the Third Schedule to the Principal Act after paragraph (1):

“(1A) The power under the foregoing paragraph of a returning officer to recount at his discretion papers in any case in which he is not satisfied as to the accuracy of any count extends to papers dealt with at an earlier count than the immediately preceding one.

(1B) As respects each candidate, one request (and not more) may be made by him or his election agent for a complete re-examination and recount of all parcels of ballot papers, and the returning officer shall forthwith re-examine and recount the parcels of ballot papers accordingly. In the re-examination and recount, the number or order of ballot papers in any parcel shall not be disturbed. Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this paragraph shall make it obligatory on the returning officer to re-examine or recount the same parcel of papers more than once, but if an error is discovered which is, in the opinion of the returning officer, a significant error likely to affect the result of the election, the returning officer shall count all the papers afresh from the point at which the error occurred.

(1C) Where an error is discovered, the returning officer shall, where necessary, amend any results previously announced by him.”